Cheese cutter



Nov. 5, 1929. l J. E. KYs ET AL 13341133 CHEESE CUTTER Filed oct. 1, 192e z sheets-sheet 1 'UF-IKE Nov. 5, l1929. J. E. KEYS AL CHEESE CUTTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y Filed Oct. 1. 1928 gmawlfoz Patented Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED STATES rarest ori-ice f JOHN E. KEYS AND GPIE P. KEYS, OF ELIZABETHTON, TENNESSEE CHEESE CUTTER j Application filed. October 1,1928. VSerial No. 309,497. Y

This invention has for its vobject the pro-- vision of a simple mechanism whereby portions of a square cheese or a cheese of rectangular cross section may be accurately cut therefrom for retail sales. The invention provides means whereby a cutter arranged to move vertically through the cheese at a right angle to the longitudinal axis thereof may be shifted readily in a rectilinear path parallel with the longitudinal axis of the cheese and manipulated to sever a desired section of the cheese. The invention also provides anindicator which is arranged to cooperate .with the cutter and is movable therewith whereby the user of the apparatus may determine with accuracy 'ust how much of the cheese is to be cut there rom to meet a given demand. AThe invention also provides means whereby the cutter may be very quickly brought into an approximate adjustment and then more finely adjusted so asto attain the desired accuracy in the cutting of the cheese. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully set forth. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a cheese cutter embodying our invention, theouter casing being removed;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view more particularly showing the means for holding the cutter in raised position. Y l

In carrying out the invention, there 1s provided a housing comprising a bed plate 1 and to a cover 2 which is hinged at one end, as shown at 3, to the bed plate and is adapted to rest firmly thereon, openings 4 being provided in the end walls of the cover for ventilation and screens 5 of any approved form being secured c" over the openings to prevent the ingress of insects to the cheese. Disposed within the housing and fixed to the bed plate 1 is a bottom table or cutting board 6 having a lug or L post 7 adjacent one end and constituting a "S stop against which one end of the cheese, in-

dicated 8, may be placed. The cheese will extend parallel with the forward edge of the cutting board 6 and its end more remote from the stop 7 is subjected to the action of a knife 9 when portions are to be cut therefrom.,

At lthe back edge ofthe Vcutting board 6, there is provided a back frame 10 having end members 11 in which are fitted and secured the ends of guide rods 12 which are disposed A parallel with the front and rear edges of the cutting board and constitute supports and as a'block of wood or other material having Y openings therethrough to slidably engage the rods 12 so that the carriage may be easily moved along said rods. The carriage is also provided with an approximately central passage 14 through which passes a screw or threaded rod 15 having smooth ends which are journaled in the end members 11 of the back frame, one of said extremities of the screwror threaded rod extending beyond the adjacent bearing Vmember 11 and being equipped with a crank disk or other operating element 16, as shown and as will be understood. At one end of the carriage 13,.there is formed a vertical recess 17 therein which'recess or channel passes across the end of the W opening 14, as will be understood upon reference .to Fig. 2. Fittedover the channel or recess 17 is a cover 18 which may be secured tothe end of the carriage in any'desired manner and serves to retain against the end. of the carriage alatch 19. The lower end of the latch rests upon an expansion spring 2O resting upon the bottom of the cover 18, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, and tending constantly to raise the latch which is providedbetween its ends with4 a vertical slot 21 receivingthe .v

threaded rod 15 and having its lower wall properly threaded to engage the threads of the rod and thereby serve as anut in cooperation with the rod. By depressing thelatch against the tension of the spring 20, itwill be released from the screw or threaded rod 15 and the carriage and the parts mounted thereon may then be quickly moved longitudinally of the guide rods 12 in either direction so as to approximately adjust the cutter into the 'l proper relation to the cheese. If the latch be then released, the spring will instantly cause it to engage the threaded rod which may then be rotated through manipulation of the handle member 16 and by its engagement with the latch, now constituting a nut, will bring the cutterinto the. exact position required to sever from 'the cheese' the desired quantity.

i Vfree end, as willbe understood from-the drawf ings The lever at its pivotedend is prowitha longitudinal groove 25, in one side a holding spring 26 is` secured to one side ofthe cover 23 and extends upwardly and .rearwardly therefrom and-is bowed, as shown` most clearly in Figsr 1 and 5 whereby when the-lever 24 is raised the. spring will engage in the groove. 25and thereby support the lever in its raised .position so that-.the earriagewth the lever and the blade may be safely adjusted without liability of the knife .scrapngmalong the top or the side of the cheese. This meansforholding the lever in a raised position. isV also .advantageous l when a wholenewvcheese is to be placed in position tube cut-. p

f vAbracket arm 27 is secured tothe top of thefcarria e and .projects forwardly therefrom, as shown .in Figs.. 1 and 4^,.and at its `frontendns formed vinto or has. secured theretoapocket 287m whichmaybe pla-ced an. indicatorchart 29. As. shown most clearly-in Fig. 3, this chart isfruled with vertical lines andatthe'upperends. of the linesare dis- Iayed numerals indicating salesv values, and 1t. .willbe understoodthatthe spacing of the lines and thenumerals tobe displayed atthe upper ends ofthe severa] lineswill-be determinedbythe price unit atV which the cheese is to be sold. A plurality of .these indicator chartsl ortickets will be provided and anyone of them .may V be .used according to the sales price of the cheese.

In .adjustingthe carriage,..it will be so Vset that the .vertical Yline bearinga numeralcorresponding to the quantity desired by the purchaser will yaline with vthe end of the cheese, as .will be understood upon reference to Fig. 1 and the knife blade 9 is then caused to pass 4downwardly through the cheese by pressure applied to theilever 224 in an obvious manner. It willbe notedthat the chart is disposed close tothe cutter so that whatever It will be readily seen from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that We have provided an exceedingly simple and compact mechanism which may be readily adjusted and manipulated to cut from a cheese any desired quantity. The cut will be. always made with certainty sov that the customer wil-l be assured of getting the quantity of cheese for which he paid and the storekeeper will be guarded against loss. A clean cutVv will be made throu h the cheese at a right angle to the sides't ereof so that the cut end will always be even and sightly.

Having thus described the invention, we claim.: j Y

l. A cheese-cutting mechanism comprising acarriage,lmeans, for adjusting the carriage including a threaded `rod having its ends mounted in fixed bea-rings, the carriage, having a longitudinal opening through whichthe rod passes,a vertically slidable latch mounted uponone end of the carriage, yieldable means below the latch to hold. it in engagement with the rod to serve as a nut. therefor, the latch projecting above the carriage whereby itmay be depressed. and released from the rod. and a' cutter mounted on the opposite end ofY the carriage.

2 AV cheese-cutting mechanism. comprising a carriage, guide rods constituting'asupport for the carriage,y a threaded lrod'."passing'longitudinally through the carriage j parallel with the guide.rods,.;avertically slidahle latch mounted upon one end of the carriagev and having a slot through which the threaded rod passes,` a spring on the carriage below` the latch actingl on the latch to hold it normally in engagement with .the threaded rod, the upper end of the latch projecting above the carriage whereby `it may Vbe depressed and released from the rod and a cutter supported by and I'Jrojectingv from the opposite end of the carriage. -Y v 3. A cheese-cutting mechanism compris.- ing a carriage, a support therefor, means for adjusting the carriage along the support, an arm projecting Vforwardly from the carriage, an indicator chart depending from the front end of said arm and movable therewith in j usting the carriage along the support, a lever pivot-ed upon the carriage and having alongitudinal groove in one side, a knife carried by the free end portion ofthe lever, and a latch spring secured upon the carriage and having its free end arranged to engage the groove in the side of the lever when the lever is raised whereby to maintain the lever in the raised position.

5. A cheese-cutting mechanism comprising a carriage, a support therefor, means for adjusting the carriage along its support, a lever pivoted to the carriage and projecting for- Wardly therefrom, a knife carried by and depending from the free end portion of the lever, a bracket secured to and projecting forwardly from the carriage immediately adjacent the lever, a pocket at the front fr ee end of said bracket in proximity to a cheese to be cut, and a freely removable indicator chart fitted in said pocket.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures.

JOHN E. KEYS.

[L 5.] OPIE P. KEYS. 

